Experimental and theoretical investigation of allylated chitosan and acrylic acid-based smart polymer hydrogel for the removal of brilliant green from aqueous media.

Smart polymer hydrogels with superior dye adsorption (brilliant green) characteristics were synthesized via free-radical polymerization by grafting acrylic acid segments onto allylated chitosan and inducing crosslinking with a trimethylolpropane triacrylate crosslinker. The synthesized adsorbents were characterized for their chemical structure (FT-IR and H NMR), thermal stability (TG/DTG), and morphological features (SEM). The adsorption capacity for brilliant green (934 mg/g) and water uptake (712 g/g) were determined using spectrophotometric and gravimetric methods, respectively.

Patient-Reported Outcome Results From the Open-Label, Randomized Phase III Myeloma X Trial Evaluating Salvage Autologous Stem-Cell Transplantation in Relapsed Multiple Myeloma.

Purpose: Salvage autologous stem-cell transplantation (sASCT) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) relapsing after a prior autologous stem-cell transplantation leads to increased remission duration and overall survival. We report a comprehensive study on patient-reported outcomes, including quality of life (QoL) and pain in sASCT.

Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to either sASCT or nontransplantation consolidation (NTC).

Development of a gene-editing approach to restore vision loss in Leber congenital amaurosis type 10.

Leber congenital amaurosis type 10 is a severe retinal dystrophy caused by mutations in the CEP290 gene. We developed EDIT-101, a candidate genome-editing therapeutic, to remove the aberrant splice donor created by the IVS26 mutation in the CEP290 gene and restore normal CEP290 expression. Key to this therapeutic, we identified a pair of Staphylococcus aureus Cas9 guide RNAs that were highly active and specific to the human CEP290 target sequence.

Orphan disease: Cherubism, optic atrophy, and short stature.

A 12-year-old female presented with complaints of progressive visual impairment in both her eyes. On clinical examination, she was short for her age and her ophthalmoscopic examination revealed bilateral optic atrophy. Computed tomography of the patient revealed multiple expansile lytic lesions of mandible suggesting cherubism.

UDiTaS™, a genome editing detection method for indels and genome rearrangements.

Background: Understanding the diversity of repair outcomes after introducing a genomic cut is essential for realizing the therapeutic potential of genomic editing technologies. Targeted PCR amplification combined with Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) or enzymatic digestion, while broadly used in the genome editing field, has critical limitations for detecting and quantifying structural variants such as large deletions (greater than approximately 100 base pairs), inversions, and translocations.

Results: To overcome these limitations, we have developed a Uni-Directional Targeted Sequencing methodology, UDiTaS, that is quantitative, removes biases associated with variable-length PCR amplification, and can measure structural changes in addition to small insertion and deletion events (indels), all in a single reaction.

Outcome for patients with relapsed/refractory aggressive lymphoma treated with gemcitabine and oxaliplatin with or without rituximab; a retrospective, multicentre study.

The treatment of relapsed aggressive lymphoma remains a challenge. Platinum-containing chemotherapy is standard of care. Gemcitabine/oxaliplatin (Gem-Ox) with or without rituximab (R) is an outpatient regimen with a favorable toxicity profile.

Modified chitosan for the collection of reactive blue 4, arsenic and mercury from aqueous media.

In the present investigation a series of modified chitosan as adsorbents were synthesized free radically at 70 °C using acryloylated chitosan (AC-chitosan) as macromer, 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propansulfonic acid (AMPS), 2-(diethylamino) ethylmethacrylate (DAEMA) as co-monomers and N,N'-methylene bisacrylamide (N-MBA) as a crosslinker for using as adsorbents in effluent remediation. Their structures ((1)H and (13)C NMR), thermal stability (TG/DTG), surface morphology (SEM), reactive blue 4 (RB4), toxic metals such as arsenic (AsO(2-)) and mercury (Hg(2+)) uptake, swellability and reusability were evaluated. The adsorption of RB4 (701 mg/g), and the uptake of AsO(2-) (551 mg/g) and Hg(2+) (455 mg/g) showed Langmuir isotherm behavior with pseudo-first-order kinetics.

Recycling of textile dye using double network polymer from sodium alginate and superabsorbent polymer.

Double network polymers (DNP) of different compositions were photosynthesized using sodium alginate (NaAlg) and superabsorbent polymer (SAP). They were characterized by FT-IR, thermal stability (TG), morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and its mechanical properties were also evaluated for their dye adsorption-desorption characteristics via adsorption isotherms at different temperature and pH values. The spectrophotometric determination of adsorbed dye indicated that the maximum dye uptake in column mode was 439 mg/g.

Drug-Induced Aseptic Meningitis Associated With Intrathecal Trastuzumab.

To report a case of drug-induced aseptic meningitis (DIAM) in a patient receiving intrathecal trastuzumab (ITT) for leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LC) secondary to HER-2/neu positive breast cancer. A 43-year-old female with stage IV breast cancer presented with headache, parasthesias, and aphasia. Brain imaging suggested leptomeningeal enhancement.

Bone health management in prostate cancer patients receiving androgen deprivation therapy.

Purpose: Patients receiving androgen deprivation therapy undergo a rapid decline in bone mineral density during the first 6 to 12 months of initiating therapy. The World Health Organization has developed and implemented the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) to predict the ten year risk of a major fracture & hip fracture. Additionally, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the National Osteoporosis Foundation have developed osteoporosis guidelines.

Effect of "energy drink" consumption on hemodynamic and electrocardiographic parameters in healthy young adults.

Background: Energy drinks are frequently purported to improve cognitive function and concentration. However, the cardiovascular effects of these drinks have not been adequately studied.

Objective: To determine the cardiac effects of a commercially available, multicomponent energy drink in healthy volunteers.